Thursday 21 June 2012

In Darwen, ‘Temporary’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does….

A woman has spoken of her fury after she was fined for parking in front of a Darwen bus stop that has not been used for years.
So? That doesn’t give anyone the right to park there, does it?
The 44-year-old said she visited Lloyds Pharmacy, where she works as a delivery driver, to pick up items to be delivered.
She said: “I park there all the time and nothing ever happens.
“I saw another car there from 12.30pm to 5pm on Thursday and another two cars parked there yesterday, so why have I been victimised?
“I spoke to Coun Paul Browne about it and he said it was a temporary bus stop.
“It was put up about six years ago when they were regenerating the main bus station.”
That’s a hell of a long time for a ‘temporary’ bus stop!
Lynn, of Marquis Close, Lower Darwen, said she was planning to appeal the parking ticket.
She said: “The council needs to remove this bus stop completely.
“I have a good mind to stand there for five hours and see if I get picked up, because I’ve never seen a bus going down there.”
Really? Wait, wait..!

*gets popcorn*

OK, go!
Sudell councillor Paul Browne said: “They are stupid. The person who gave her a ticket is bonkers. Either that or they are new.
I have parked there several times. I can’t believe she has been given a ticket.
“People get upset about stuff like this, especially with the cost of a ticket when everyone is struggling for money already.
“That bus stop was put in place when the bus station was being done up years ago. Everyone in Darwen knows that.
“I am backing Lynn in her appeal. This should never have happened.”
Well, since you are all in agreement, surely the council will see sense, and end this monstrous injustice?
A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: “The bus stop is a legitimate one.
“It is clearly signposted and painted. People can’t just go parking there without expecting to get a ticket.”
Ah. Perhaps not.

The north. It’s like England, but….not.

11 comments:

Bucko said...

Try as I might, I can't think of any parking areas around Lloyds Pharmacy. You would have to bung the car up the street and walk down.
The Pharmacy faces the bus stop and has a huge box junction directly outside.

Bucko said...

I just had a wierd experience. After reading this and then commenting, I popped out for a smoke and picked up a hard copy of the Telegraph.
She's back in again and she's had the ticket cancelled.
And she didn't park outside Lloyds pharmacy, she parked up the road.
Woah

John Tee said...

One rule for all? Or does local knowledge get precedence over visitors?

Highway code says: "DO NOT stop or park ... at or near a bus or tram stop." I can't find the bit that says "... except where you know the bus stop isn't used. Or there isn't a bus due for a while."

Woodsy42 said...

Don't they have to have council agreement/planning to place a bus stop where they do? In which case being 'temporary' it may no longer have it, perhaps it is only a make believe bus stop?

Woman on a Raft said...

If you look on googlemaps you can see he bus stop where she parked, about 50 yards up the road in Railway Road.

I wouldn't have described it as a good place to stop, even if you are a bus. The road there is 2 lanes wide, one in either direction, so if you park in the bus stop it necessarily means people will have to jink round you, inconveniencing what looks like a busy route.

On the opposite side of the road there is slanted parking, but you can only easily drive in to that if you are traveling in the opposite direction.

The bus stop is covered by a no-stopping sign. I don't much like bossy councils but in this case they have a point; it is an extremely inconsiderate and inconvenient place to stop.

James Higham said...

The north. It’s like England, but….not.

Perhaps we're the real England up here? ;-)

Dan Clough said...

As 'Bucko' says, the parking ticket was indeed cancelled by the council when they realised how ridiculous the ticket was.
Perhaps before ridiculing the people of a town, you should think about how much knowledge you actually have of the area (none).
It is outrageous this bus stop still exists and can be used by the council to take money from honest, working people in the town, when it is indeed no longer in use.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/darwen/9774781.Darwen_driver_wins____bus_stop____fine_appeal/

Woman on a Raft said...

It is outrageous this bus stop still exists

Why not take a virtual journey along Railway Road and see the bus stop?

True, they should have removed the stop, the road markings and restriction plate, but there is a very good case for making that a double-yellow line.

My guess is they left the bus stop in place to do exactly that job without the expense of re-painting the road.

Dan Clough said...

Funnily enough, on the back of this story, the bus stop is to be decommissioned and the roadside to be made available as parking spaces.

Bucko said...

"Why not take a virtual journey along Railway Road and see the bus stop? "

I live a few minutes walk away so can take a real journey down there.

Google may be a bit decieving but there is space there to park. It's only after you get to the co-op where parking would be an issue. From there back up to the railway bridge there is ample space for parking.
According to Mrs Bucko the yellow lines are no longer there. I can't say for sure as I don't take much notice of such stuff.

JuliaM said...

"I popped out for a smoke and picked up a hard copy of the Telegraph.

She's back in again and she's had the ticket cancelled."


I wish they wouldn't do that, it just encourages them...

"The road there is 2 lanes wide, one in either direction, so if you park in the bus stop it necessarily means people will have to jink round you, inconveniencing what looks like a busy route."

In my area, the buses used to pull in. Now, they've reworked the road to the buses stop and all the traffic stops behind them, because they can't jink round.

You can imagine what that does to traffic flow in rush hour.

"Perhaps before ridiculing the people of a town, you should think about how much knowledge you actually have of the area (none)."

I don't really need an encyclopaedic knowledge of an area. Just of people, and what makes them tick.

And 'honest people' don't park illegally, get caught and whinge they shouldn't have got a ticket because 'everyone does it'.